And Then There Was One
by IT Spook
Summary: The first story of the Black Sheep: A Gnawer's Tale chronicle. Based in the Werewolf: The Apocalypse universe, the tale focuses on a young Bone Gnawer named Andy as he tries to live life according to the Garou code.
1. Chapter 1

The hot July sun was high in the sky as the two children made their way down the steep grassy slope. A fourteen year-old boy led the way, skidding and stumbling as he shielded his eyes from the bright sun. Behind him followed a blond ten year-old girl, trying her best to keep her balance.

"Andy, are you sure it's safe?" asked the girl.

"It's fine, Julie! Don't be a scardy cat." the boy said as both children reached the bottom of the slope.

In front of them was a large old mine opening. Rotting timbers were piled off to one side and a large sign was posted by the mouth of the dark mine. Faded it with age, Julie could barely make out the writing on it: "DANGER! DO NOT ENTER!".

"Andy, that sign says it's dangerous to go in there!" Julie said.

"Aw, Julie! They just put that up to scare people. I've been in there lots of times." Andy said as he brushed back his sandy brown hair with his hand. "Come on. Let's go."

Julie bit her lip as she watched Andy turn on his flashlight and enter the mouth of the mine. He looked back and motioned for her to follow. Slowly, Julie entered the mine and turned on her flashlight.

"See? No problem." Andy said and he led Julie deeper into the mine.

The inside of the mine was dark and dusty. A musty smell tickled the noses of Andy and Julie as they made their way deeper into the mine. Julie could see the odd piece of broken equipment was lying by the side of a rusty set of tracks. The only sound the two children could hear was the echoing sounds of their footsteps.

"I guess you're right." Julie said as she moved closer to her brother. "It's not too bad."

Andy chuckled as he stopped and knelt down. He began to sift through the dirt carefully. He had found some pretty neat things here on his earlier escapades. Andy felt something metallic and he held it up in the beam on his flashlight. Andy smiled as he saw a tarnished buffalo head nickel.

"Hey Julie! Check it out!" Andy said. "Julie?"

Andy looked around and saw the Julie was nowhere in sight.

CRACK!

The sound of wood cracking and something heavy falling broke the silence of the musty air. Andy heard Julie scream and he dashed down the dusty mine shaft.

"Julie!" Andy called.

Andy rounded a corner and found Julie, pinned beneath an old support beam, crying and screaming. Near her lay her broken flashlight.

"Andy! Andy! Help me!" Julie cried. "My leg hurts real bad!"

Andy put his flashlight down and grabbed the piece of timber that pinned Julie. Andy grunted and tried in vain to move the beam, but it was way too heavy for him.

"Julie, hold on! I'll go for help!" Andy said.

"NO!" Julie cried. "Don't leave me! Don't take the flashlight!"

"Julie, I need it to find my way out! You're hurt bad! I'll be back. I promise!"

"Andy, I'll die if you leave me! Don't go!"

"I go to."

"Don't go! Don't leave me!"


	2. Chapter 2

Andy woke with a start, a cold sweat coating his body. The night air was cool and Andy felt a chill run down his spine. He sat up on his blanket and looked around. Though his sleepy eyes, Andy saw the roof of the abandon warehouse where he had made his home for the last few years.

"Don't leave me!"

His sister's words from ten years ago still haunted him in his nightmares. He could still see her as he left her in the mine. He had brought help and his sister had only suffered a bruised leg, but the memory of Julie crying in fear and pain still stabbed at his heart. Andy shook his head and gritted his teeth.

That was the past.

A past he had run away from and tried to forget.

Andy stood up and stretched. His twenty-four year old body was toughened by the years on the street, but it still ached from sleeping on a hard warehouse roof. The only visible structure on the roof was a small wooden shack. It contained most of Andy's personal belongings and a small cot. Most of the time, Andy preferred to sleep under the stars.

Straightening his weathered black leather jacket, Andy checked the time. It was nine in the evening. He jogged over to the corner of the roof and slid down the rusty iron ladder attached to the side of the warehouse. After he reached the ground, Andy walked three blocks north to Lily Street or his "territory" as he liked to call it. Lily Street was a very seedy part of town. A couple of rough bars and secret houses of ill reputed lined this street. It was where the forgotten and low life of Templeton made their homes. Not the type of place you'd find many good people, but there were some who had fallen on hard times and found their way here.

Suddenly, Andy heard a cry for help. The teenager's sneakers squeaked as he began to sprint towards the sound. Andy tracked the source of the cry to an alley four blocks away. Andy looked into the alley and saw a tall youth kicking an old derelict. The youth was wearing a green leather jacket blue jeans and a brown derby. The old derelict was trying to crawl away but the youth kept pushing and kicking him, laughing in his sick perversion. With a savage kick to the head, the youth sent the old man crashing to the ground. The old man twitched and lay still.

"Nice to see the homeless this time of year!" teased the youth. "I think I'll hang you out to dry."

The youth pulled out a knife and advanced on the derelict. Andy knew that it would take something stronger than him to stop the punk with the knife.

Something with power.

Something with speed.

Something like a Garou.

"Come on." Andy thought as he strained and concentrated. "Change!"

Andy slowly felt the familiar pain of bones popping and sliding into other places. He felt his face lengthen into a muzzle and dark fur grew all over his body. His body mass began to increase and he gained several inches in height. When the change was complete, Andy loped down the alley. The youth reached for the derelict, grinning. Andy let out a long howl as he bore down on the youth, his furry muscles rippling with power. The youth turned around and his face went pale.

"Holy..." the youth gasped and slowly backed away.

Before the youth, stood a large, eight-foot tall man wolf. The white streaks in its black fur gleamed in the moonlight. Andy's yellow eyes locked on the youth and he flexed his clawed hands. The young Garou growled and his lips pulled back, revealing a sets of sharp teeth. He reached for the youth and hissed.

"Get... out." Andy growled.

The youth met Andy's eyes and a wave of unnatural fear washed over him. The youth took off like a bat out of hell, screaming at the top of his lungs. Andy flexed his clawed hands and shifted back to human form. He knew that any human seeing him in his Crinos form would be so frightened, they would forget what they saw. He heard elders refer to the effect as the Delirium.

Andy knelt by the old man and gently turned him over. There was blood running from a deep cut in the old man's forehead and the derelict was still unconscious.

"Hey there." Andy said as he gently shook the old man.

The old man's eyes flickered open and Andy helped him sit up.

"Where's that kid that kicked me?" the old man asked.

"I got rid of him." Andy said and he helped the old man to his feet. "Come on. I'll get you fixed up."

"Who are you?" the old man asked as he stood.

"You can call me Galahad." Andy replied. "Let's go to the shelter. I got friends there."

Andy never gave his real name out to people. When he first arrived on Lily Street, Andy ran a powerful pimp out of town and the hookers began to call him Galahad because he was just like a knight in shining armor. Andy liked the nickname so he used it often.

Andy helped the old man walk a few blocks to the shelter. He helped the old man inside and down to the dormitory. A few people greeted him and helped him lay the old man on an empty cot. An older lady wearing a blue smock came in and she was carrying a first aid kit. She sat down on the cot and began to tend to the old man.

"Another one, Galahad?" the woman asked.

"Yeah. Found a punk really working him over." Andy explained. "I hope you don't mind I brought him here, Mrs. Cinder."

"That's what we're here for." Mrs. Cinder said with a smile as she cleaned the man's wounds. "Without you, many would not find their way to the shelter. Thanks for stopping by."

Andy gave Mrs. Cinder a quick kiss on the cheek. After visiting with a few of the other people at the shelter, Andy bid them good night and left. Andy started to head back to the warehouse but he felt like someone was following him. He paused and looked behind him. He didn't see anything but the young Garou could feel a presence. Andy turned a corner quickly and slid into an alley. A few minutes later, a pair of large, scruffy-looking dogs trotted into view and paused at the mouth of the alley. One of the dogs had fur that was white with patches of black all through it. The other was rust color with patches of white and gray mixed in it.

"What are you two doing on my block?" Andy called to the dogs.

The dogs turned and growled at the alley. They crept in, teeth bared. Andy rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall of the alley.

"Knock it off! I know it's you, Pepper and Calico." Andy said, slightly annoyed.

The two dogs stop growling and sat down. Their bodies shifted and changed into two very scruffy looking human beings. One was a male with snow-white hair and a black beard. He was dressed in black biker leathers, complete with riding chaps. The other was a short female with dingy brown hair. She was dressed in a red leather jacket, jeans and a black tank top.

"Hey Black Sheep! We were just playing!" laughed Pepper. "I thought you Ragabash liked that."

"Did we scare you?" Calico said and she made a scary face.

Pepper and Calico howled with laughter.

Every Garou was given a role or auspice in the pack depending under what phase of the moon they were born under. In Andy's case, he was Ragabash, the trickster of the pack and the questioner of ways. Andy sighed to himself. He felt more like the one who was tricked the most often.

"Listen, Pepper." Andy said. "Call me Galahad and what in the name of Gaia are you doing here?"

"Ooooh! Call him 'Galahad'!" Calico teased. "What's the matter? Being a Bone Gnawer don't sit well with you? Why don't you move into a fancy house then instead of sleeping on that warehouse roof of yours?"

Andy rubbed his face and grinded his teeth, the feeling of annoyance creeping into his veins. Of all the tribes of Garou, Andy cursed his luck for belonging to the Bone Gnawers. Bone Gnawers were the lowest of the tribes. They were street Garou who knew how to survive in the cities of man, but that was about all they knew. The Bone Gnawers didn't get respect from the other tribes and Andy didn't get respect from his own pack.

"Cute, Calico." Andy grumbled. "Now what the hell are you doing on my block?"

"Well," Pepper began, "Grandmother Junkyard wants to see you. We're having a meeting tonight and she wanted to make sure you'd be there."

Andy was stunned. Junkyard was the leader of his pack, the Junkyard Dogs. Andy usually didn't have many dealings with his Garou pack so he wondered why the leader of the pack would want to see him.

"When?" Andy asked.

"Right now." Calico said. "Can you still shift to Lupus form or is it still too hard for you?"

Calico and Pepper laughed again.

"Knock it off!" Andy growled. "I'll be there."

"All right." Pepper said and he bent over. "Jeez, I can't change! I must be Black Sheep!"

Calico doubled over laughing and Pepper snickered.

"Just fuck the hell off." Andy shouted.

Pepper and Calico laughed some more and shifted back into Lupus form. They barked once and left the alley. Andy leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He wished changing forms was easier to him.

"It was so easy the first time..." Andy muttered and he let his mind wander.

In a flash, he was sixteen again. He was in his room at his old house, reading a book. Downstairs, Andy could hear his father cursing and swearing at the television. Then, Andy could heard soft, quick footsteps on the stairs. His door flew open and in ran his sister Julie. She ran over to him and clutched him, staring eyes full of fright. Andy looked down at his sister and gasped. An ugly purple welt was forming under her right eye. Her lip was bleeding and she was crying.

"He hit me!" Julie sobbed. "Andy, he's gonna get me!"

BAM!

The door of the bedroom flew open and crashed against the wall. A shadow appeared in the doorway and Andy saw his father looming there. Andy's drunk father lurched in. His dirty blue shirt was stained with beer and he smelled like a brewery. His face twisted into a snarl and he pointed at Julie.

"Get over here, Julie!" barked her father, taking off his belt.

"Get behind me." Andy said to his sister. "You run when I tell you to!"

"Maybe you need some of this belt too, Andy!" growled his father.

"Run Julie!" Andy shouted.

Andy braced himself as his father charged at him. Andy's father grabbed him and landed a powerful backhand on the teenager's jaw. Andy tumbled to the floor and tasted blood. His jaw felt like it was on fire and he could barely move it. Tears began to flood into his eyes and Andy fought to stay conscious. He looked up and saw his father grab his sister.

"Now for you!" Andy's father said as he jerked Julie by her slender wrist.

Julie screamed and wiggled in his grasp. Andy's father pulled back the belt, ready to strike.

"No!" Andy said weakly, his wind returning.

Andy felt something snap inside of him. Like something that was asleep had just woken up with a start! He felt the anger surge through his body and felt his body changing. Bones popped and shifted. Hair began to grow all over him. His body mass began to increase. The pain was intense and Andy screamed. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to block out the agony. He felt himself growing and his clothes ripped.

"What in..." Andy's father's voice trailed off.

Andy opened his eyes and saw himself in the mirror, or what he now was. A large, eight foot wolfman loomed in the mirror, its fur dark black with streaks of white though it. His massive hands had powerful fingers that ended in sharp claws. His muzzle was full of sharp teeth and Andy brought his gaze to bear on his father.

"Let... her... go!" Andy hissed, having trouble forming the words.

"Sweet Mother..." Andy's father stammered, paling.

With a growl, Andy leaped at his father. He lifted him up like a paper doll and tossed him across the room. Andy's father landed with a thump and lay on the floor, unmoving. Andy's vision began to turn red and he felt a deep burning in his blood. He later learned the burning was called Rage and it sent most Garou into a mindless frenzy of destruction.

"Pay... back... time." Andy hissed as he stalked towards the limp form of his father.

A whimpering caught his ear and he turned to see his Julie hiding in a corner. Andy felt a bloodlust wash over him, but he fought it back. Slowly, the Rage left him and he realized he needed to help Julie. He noticed his jaw had stopped hurting and much to Andy's surprised, it had also healed.

"Julie?" Andy rumbled.

Julie whimpered.

"Don't... be... scared." Andy growled, speaking slowly.

Julie sniffed and slowly came over to her brother.

"Andy?" Julie said in a quiet voice.

"Yeah... Come... take you... safe place." Andy growled.

Julie reached out and stroked her brother's fur. Andy tried to smile, but his muzzle was not designed to perform such a welcoming tasks. He held out his hand and Julie took it. His sister looked up at him.

"You're going to stay with me, right?" Julie asked, her tears stopping.

"I... promise." Andy replied.

Andy lifted Julie up and set her in the crook of his large right arm. She curled up into a ball and pressed up close against him. For a moment, Andy wanted to break down and cry. He wanted to tell her he was sorry for everything he had ever did to her, but he refused to show any weakness. With a howl of victory, Andy bounded out of the room and out the back door. He cleared the back fence in one leap and raced down the back alleys. The cool night breeze felt good against his body and it made him feel slightly intoxicated.

Andy ran for a long time until he found his destination. A large dark covenant loomed before him. He looked down at Julie and saw she was sleeping. Quietly, Andy set her against the door and knocked. Andy heard someone coming towards the door and quickly hid in the shadows. He heard large bolts sliding and the large door swung open. A small nun looked out and spotted Julie. She called to her other sisters and the small nun picked Julie up. Julie woke up and looked around.

"Andy!" Julie screamed. "Don't leave me! You promised!"

Andy felt something hot and wet running down his wolf face. He turn and ran off into the night, tears streaming from his eyes and his sister's words ringing in his ears. He didn't know what he had become or what he would do next, but he knew that whatever path he chose would not be safe for Julie. He tried to comfort himself with the idea that the nuns would be able to care for Julie better than he ever could, but it did not help his sorrow. He threw back his head and let out a long mournful howl to the moon.

"Are you all right?"

The soft voice brought Andy back into the present. He shook his head and found himself back in the alley. He looked in the direction of the voice and saw a short, good-looking woman in her early twenties. She had shoulder length ebony black hair, deep green eyes and a tan. She was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a yellow T-shirt with the words "Go for it!" printed on it. Andy felt a tear sliding out of his eye and he blinked it back.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Andy said and he walked out of the alley. "You new around here?"

"Yup. Just got in yesterday. I was out for a walk and saw you crying." the girl said.

"I wasn't crying." Andy growled and he started walking off in the direction of the city junkyard.

"Hey!" the girl called after him. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't. I got to meet someone."

Andy glanced at his watch and cursed. If he didn't hurry, he was going to be very late for the meeting. Andy glanced around and saw that he was alone. He thought hard and felt the change slowly happening. The next thing he knew, Andy was running on all fours. Andy smiled to himself. He had managed to change to Lupus form, the form of a large black dog, with relative ease. Maybe he was getting better at shifting forms.

Half an hour later, Andy was in the junkyard outside the city. Grandmother Junkyard owned the junkyard and it was the meeting place for the Junkyard Dogs. It was also a place Bone Gnawers could come and feel free to take whatever form they wished. It was far enough away from the city that no one came out there at night.

Andy loped through the junkyard, weaving in and out of piles of trash. He reached the old shack in the center of the junkyard where the gatherings took place. He pushed the door open with his muzzle and wandered in.

About fifteen other Garou were there in various forms. They all looked at Andy as he came in and a few chuckles broke out. Andy hated meeting with other members of his pack, but he knew it was not wise to turn down the call of the leader. He changed back to human form and stretched his legs. Andy saw the others were shifting to human form. He could hear them muttering and a few of them glanced in his direction. He could hear them joking about his Garou name "Black Sheep". After his Rite Of Passage, they had given him the name "Black Sheep" because he never fit into the rough and wild ways of the pack.

The rabble died down as a tall, elderly woman came into the room. She was dressed in a red flannel shirt, very ratty cloth pants and wore work boots on her feet. Her silver hair was tangled and her smile lacked a few teeth. She was Grandmother Junkyard, leader of the Junkyard Dogs. She stepped to the middle of the room and began to speak.

"Thank you all for coming." Junkyard's raspy voice cut the air. "I like to begin by telling you the reason why I called a meeting. As you know, we recently black balled Smoky because he was caught selling drugs and intentionally harming a few humans. The other Bone Gnawer packs have informed me that he is causing trouble uptown and want us to deal with him. I told them that Smoky was their problem not ours, but if you run into him, make sure you give him a very, very hard time."

Andy listened. When a Bone Gnawer got black balled, it meant that no Bone Gnawer would acknowledge him. To mark the outcast, an eight ball on a chain was magically charmed to their neck, visible in any form and impossible to remove.

"That's about all I needed to say. Feel free to party a bit." Junkyard said. "Black Sheep, come with me."

Andy stood and followed Junkyard outside. She led him deep into the junkyard and they came to a pile of old cars. Junkyard sat down on the hood and motioned for Andy to take a spot beside her.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Grandmother Junkyard?" Andy asked.

"I heard about the things you've been doing over on Lily Street." Junkyard said and looked at Andy, her face unreadable.

"Uh... I can explain…" Andy stuttered.

"Have you been helping the homeless?" Junkyard asked.

"Yes, but I thought that's what the Bone Gnawers were suppose to do." Andy explained defensively. "I've fought the Wyrm whenever I could, but lately, I've spent a lot of time helping people out. I know the pack frowns on that sort of thing, but I can't help myself. If you want, I will stop helping the needy in an instant."

"If you ever think like that," Junkyard growled as she grabbed his ear, "then the Wyrm has all ready won!"

"OW! What do you mean?" Andy asked, confused.

"What you do is what Bone Gnawer's have done since the dawn of our existence." Junkyard sighed. "There was a time, long ago, the Junkyard Dogs were like you. Unfortunately, those days are long gone and today's Junkyard Dogs seemed more worried about their own personal wellbeing that anyone else's. I'm too old to force them back to the old ways and I have given up hope that we would ever return to the old ways. When I first heard about what you were doing, I felt a surge of hope. In all my ninety years, I kept hope that the Junkyard Dogs would find its way back to the old ways, like you have. I had hoped you'd set a good example. Too bad the modern ways have set our pack on the wrong path."

"But you're the leader! You can changed that, no matter how old you are!"

"A pebble in a fast river does nothing, Black Sheep. You, however, must learn to take pride in what you are and what you do."

Andy sat there, stunned. Here was the pack leader, praising him for his actions while the rest of the pack teased and laughed at him.

"Now, if you thought about your auspice, you'd understand." Junkyard scolded. "What are Ragabash?"

"Tricksters of the pack." Andy answered.

Junkyard yanked on Andy's ear!

"Ow! They're... they're the questioners of ways." Andy said slowly, understanding fully now.

"Right and you question the ways of our pack." Junkyard said and she shook her head. "Just like a pup. Not using your noggin'."

Junkyard let go of Andy's ear and Andy rubbed it slowly.

"I asked you here tonight because I have two things to give you." Junkyard said.

"What are they?" Andy asked, curious.

"The first is to remove the shame from your name. When you are called Black Sheep, you raise your head high for you are of the old ways and though you stand apart from the pack, you are more Bone Gnawer than any of them."

"Thank you, Grandmother."

"The second is this." Junkyard said and she reached into her coat.

Junkyard pulled out a leather thong. On it was a shiny bottle cap. Andy took the hand made necklace, his brow wrinkled in puzzlement. Junkyard made a motion for Andy to put it around his neck.

"Don't be deceived by its appearance. It is a powerful fetish." Junkyard said as she watched Andy tie the thong around his neck.

"Fetish?" Andy said as adjusted the necklace. "Like a powerful Garou charm?"

"Yes." Junkyard said. "Keep the bottle cap against your skin. It will grow warm in the presence of danger."

"I... I don't know what to say." Andy stuttered. "These two gifts are a great honor but why me?"

"At the last great moot, a Theurge from the tribe of Silver Fangs had a vision. She told me that one from my pack who walks alone will strike a great blow against the Wyrm. She also said he will rise to glory and make the Junkyard Dogs respected once more. I felt that she might be referring to you and I think these gifts will help you as..." Junkyard's voice trailed off as she sniffed the air.

Andy sniffed too, smelling a faint, foul odor in the air. The bottle cap was beginning to grow very warm.

"Wyrm?" Andy whispered.

Junkyard nodded and stood. Andy slid off the car and pressed himself into the shadows. Junkyard crouched on the ground and shifted to Crinos from. In an instant, her withered human form was replaced by that of a muscular werewolf with powerful muscles. In her hand was a long, silver blade known among the Garou as a klaive, Andy tried to change forms, but the fear of the Wyrm made it hard to concentrate. He felt it slowly happening and he concentrated harder.

Two blasts from a shotgun broke the air and Grandmother Junkyard's midsection exploded in a red shower of blood. She fell and curled into a ball. Andy fought the urge to scream in terror as he watched Grandmother Junkyard try to crawl towards him. She raised her head slightly and looked at Andy, her face twisted in pain.

"Silver bullets!" Junkyard gasped as she lay there, her life's blood flowing out of her. "Black Sheep… take the klaive. Warn the others!"

Junkyard slumped over and Andy felt anger replace his fear. The change came quicker now, fueled by the anger in his blood. He heard a scrambling and saw two men climbing down a nearby pile of junk. The odor of the Wyrm was strong and Andy could tell that these men served it unquestionably.

"Got it." the man with the rifle said. "The rest of the group should be almost to the front gates."

"The boss is sure going to be pleased." the other man said and he lit up a cigarette. "Wasn't there another one?"

"Right... here!" Andy growled and leapt from his hiding place.

As Andy leapt, he finished changing to his Crinos form. He slashed hard at the rifleman and ripped the startled man's throat out. The man went down, his arms flailing helplessly and gurgling screams coming from his shredded throat. Andy didn't pause for a second and turned on the other man. The last thing the second man's horrified eyes saw was Andy's great clawed hand rake across his face. The man ran screaming, blinded by the slash. Fighting to catch his breath, Andy remembered Junkyard's words and picked up her klaive from the ground.

Andy took off to warn his pack, wincing at the foul taste of Wyrm tainted blood in his mouth. As Andy ran through the junkyard, the smell of Wyrm seem to creep up on him, getting closer and closer. Andy thought they were nearly on top of him and then he saw the shack. He raced to the door and ripped it open. He shifted to human form to speak easier.

"Wyrm in the junkyard! Grandmother Junkyard is dead!" Andy panted. "Run!"

All hell broke loose. Most of the pack nearly trampled Andy trying to get out of the hut. Andy moved out of the way and watched most of the pack disappear into the junkyard. Andy slipped in and shut the door. He looked around and saw Pepper and Calico were still there.

"Well, Ragabash," Pepper said calmly, "I don't suppose you know how many there are?"

Andy shook his head.

"We'll just shift to Crinos and scared the hell out of them." Calico said. "That should do it."

"Grandmother tried that." Andy explained. "It didn't work."

WHAM!

The door flew open and in rushed two men, armed with high powered rifles. The three Garou scattered as the men took aim and fired. Calico screamed as the two shots tore through her! She felt to the floor of the hut, blood gushing from the wounds.

"Calico!" Pepper cried.

Quickly, Andy shifted to his Crinos form. He knew his fighting skills weren't as good as the warriors of the pack, but they were more than enough to face a single human. He swung the klaive in a wide arc and it barely scraped the nearest man's arm. Cursing is lack of skill, Andy switch tactics and crushed one of the men's skull, the sound of bone popping filling the air. Pepper shifted to Crinos as well and grabbed the other man. He lifted him high over his head and howled. The man struggled helplessly in Pepper's grip.

"For the Grandmother!" Pepper roared and he brought the man down over his knee.

The man bent right in half from the force of the blow, his spine snapping like a twig. Pepper tossed the body down with disgust. Andy shifted back to human form and ran over to Calico. He knelt by her and gently touched her forehead. Her eyes flicked and she looked at Calico, her breathing growing shallow.

"Calico?" Andy asked.

"I'm yuked." Calico gasped, trying to force a smile. "Silver bullets burning in my gut."

"Hold on." Andy said and he tried to move her.

Pepper ran over to Andy and pushed him away. He lifted Calico up and held her close. She weakly wrapped her arms around him and gently kissed him.

"Maybe in the next life, Pepper." Calico said in a low voice and she went limp.

Pepper howled and held Calico's cooling body close. Andy looked out the window and saw many men fighting Garou in the junkyard. It was like a bloody war zone and the Garou were losing badly. Andy noticed another group of men heading towards the shack, their automatic rifles held at the ready.

"Pepper, we got to go. More men are coming." Andy said as he kept watching out the window.

Pepper roared and charged out of the shack!

"Pepper!" Andy shouted.

Andy watched helplessly as Pepper charged towards the men. The men saw him coming and raised their rifles. They fired several times, but Pepper didn't stop. He cut two men down with powerful swipes and the other men kept firing. Andy watch as a true warrior, an Ahroun, fight in the frenzy of Rage. Pepper finally fell, but not before he took four of the five men with him and severely wounded the last attacker.

Andy knew he had very little time so he shifted back to human form and slipped out of the shack. He carefully made his way to the back of the junkyard, keeping an eye out for any men. Just as he as about to reach the back fence, Andy felt a gun in his back.

"Hold on!" ordered a deep voice. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I was told to scout the back of the Junkyard for more freaks." Andy said, thinking quickly.

"Well, you probably won't find any. I think we got all of those things." the man said and Andy felt the gun pull out of his back.

"All right, but I got orders." Andy said. "They came from the big guy."

"Calvin Locke? Wow! Sorry about the gun thing." the man stammered. "Do me a favor and don't mention it to him."

"No problem." Andy said.

The man left and Andy thanked Gaia for making him Ragabash. Not only has he tricked the man into letting him go, Andy had also got the name of the man behind the entire operation.

Andy pushed a loose board out of the way and slipped out side of the junkyard. He waited until he was a good distance away from the junkyard before changing to Lupus form. He ran to the city, clutching Grandmother Junkyard's klaive in his mouth. He made it back to the warehouse and fell into a rough sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Andy woke up to the rays of the sun tickling his face. He glanced at his watch and noticed it was about one o'clock in the afternoon. He stood up and made his way to the street. Andy walked up to a small newsstand on the corner. Magazines and papers from around the world covered the shelves. An old, blind black man sat behind the counter, smoking a pipe. The old man smiled as Andy came up to him.

"Sir Galahad!" the blind man called to him.

"Gramps? How can you tell I'm coming?" Andy asked in amazement.

"By the way you walk." Gramps said with a grin. "No one else I know takes long, soft strides in sneakers like you do. I could hear you coming three blocks away."

Andy chuckled.

"Say Gramps, I heard something weird went on at the city junkyard last night. Did you hear anything?" Andy asked.

"Can't say that I have." Gramps thought. "Why do you ask?"

"I heard there was some gunplay out there last night."

"Oh? From who?"

"A friend."

"Well, you're friend must have went out of his way to go out to the junkyard. That's a ways out of town."

"He had to drop off some stuff. Let me know if you hear anything, all right?"

"Sure thing, Galahad. Do the same for me, will you? I like a good mystery."

"Not a problem." Andy said and he bought a paper. "Whew! Gramps, you got to get some new tobacco. That stuff smells like you're burning rubber!"

"I think it smells just fine." Gramps said with a grin.

Andy smiled and tossed down some change for the paper. He read a bit as he walked. In his mind, Andy kept going over all the questions the junkyard raid had left him with. How did Calvin Locke know about the Garou? Why did he want the junkyard? As he flipped another page of the paper, Andy turned a corner and ran into someone. He fell down and the other person did too.

"Why don't you look where you're going?" Andy said as he got up.

"I was going to say the same thing to you." said a familiar voice.

Andy found himself looking at the girl that had caught him crying in the alley last night. She smiled at him and Andy held out his hand to her.

"Sorry." Andy said as he helped her up. "I had a lot of things on my mind."

"No problem." laughed the girl. "Name's Des by the way."

"People call me Galahad."

"Cool name. So, where are you off to in such a hurry?"

"Here and there. I was just on my way back to Lily Street."

"Need some company?"

At first, Andy was going to tell Des no. The last thing he needed was a human dogging his every step. As he looked into Des's soft eyes, Andy felt kind of funny inside. Like he had butterflies in his stomach. It felt kind of good, so Andy decided to let Des tag along with him for a little while.

"Sure." Andy said.

Des and Andy walked back to Lily Street. They chatted a bit and Andy found out Des came from DeMona Bay. She got tired of waiting tables and came here to Templeton to find work as a script writer. Andy listened, not saying much.

"So, what does a quiet guy like you like to do?" Des asked.

"I like to watch stars." Andy said.

"You like to look at the stars?"

"Yeah. I like to see the constellations at night."

"You know much about astronomy?"

"Enough to know which way is north. That's about it."

Des laughed and Andy smiled. The sun was slowly setting on the city and the sky had turned pale orange. They passed the opera house and saw people lining up to go in.

"Look! 'Cats' is playing!" Des said. "I wish I had the money to go. I love the music from that show."

"You want to see it?" Andy asked.

"Very badly." Des replied. "Why?"

Andy smiled and felt a little silly. He waved Des after him and he ducked into the alley beside the opera house. He started to climb the fire escape and smiled encouragingly at Des. She climbed after Andy, her face full of curiosity. They reached the roof and Andy led Des to a door. He knocked a series of raps and the door opened a crack.

"Who's there?" asked a voice from within.

"Galahad. Let me in Sam." Andy replied.

The door swung wide open and Andy went in. Des followed and found herself looking down on the stage from a series of catwalks. Andy stood beside an older man dressed in a security guards uniform. He smiled to Des and took off his hat.

"Name's Sam Wallace." the guard said. "You can sit here and watch the show. I owe Galahad a favor or two."

Des's face broke out in a wide smile and she quietly took up a spot to watch the musical. Andy stood over with Sam and talked in hushed tones.

"Sam, my pack was wiped out last night." Andy asked.

"No shit?" Sam replied. "The entire Junkyard pack?"

"Yeah," Andy whispered, "but I got a lead on who did it."

"Who?" Sam asked.

"A man named Calvin Locke." Andy whispered. "That's all I got so far."

"I'll pass the word on to my pack, the South Sides." Sam whispered and he nodded at Des. "Who she?"

"She's just a friend."

"A 'tea and cookies' friend or a 'slap and tickle' friend?"

Sam smiled and Andy felt a redness creeping up his neck.

"I just met her and thought I let her tag along with me." Andy whispered.

"Well, if you want to use my place, let me know and I'll leave a blanket out for you." Sam teased. "No sense in having you two roll around on that hard roof of yours."

Andy gave Sam a punch in the shoulder and Sam fought to keep from bursting out laughing. Andy walked over and sat down by Des. They watched the rest of the performance and thanked Sam when it was over. They went out onto the roof and Des looked at the night sky.

"There's no moon tonight, but the lights are too bright here to see the stars." Des said as she tried to spot them.

"Follow me. I know a place where the lights are dim." Andy said.

Andy smiled and started walking across the rooftops. Des followed after him. They got to Lily Street and Andy climbed down a fire escape. The couple walked a few blocks and came to the abandoned warehouse. Andy helped Des up the rusty ladder. When they got to the roof, Andy led Des to his blanket and motioned for her to have a seat. Des sat and Andy pointed to the sky.

"There isn't much city light in this end of the city." Andy said. "You can see Ursa Major and Ursa Minor over there."

"How did you find this place?" Des asked.

"I live here." Andy said and he sat down beside Des.

"You're homeless?"

"Does it bother you?"

"No. It's just that you seem so young."

Andy laughed and looked to the sky. The stars were bright and there was a warm breeze blowing in the air. The night sky seemed to draw him upwards as he lost himself looking.

"What beauty could match the points of lights that dance before my eyes?" Des asked, quoting some long forgotten passage.

"Such beauty I have never seen until the day my own eyes saw you." Andy replied, picking the only quote he knew about beauty.

Des smiled and she moved closer to Andy, pressing up against him. Surprised, Andy jumped a bit. Awkwardly, he put his arm around Des's shoulders and she rested her head on him.

"A poet?" Des asked quietly.

"Just speaking the truth." Andy said. "Truth is my most valued treasure."

"Really?"

"A man is as good as his word and as pure as his heart."

Des smiled again and wrapped her arms around Andy. The young Garou smiled and felt all warm inside. The couple sat watching the stars, letting the night wind make the only sound.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next five weeks, Andy tried to hunt down Calvin Locke. He tried to get the other Bone Gnawers to help but they ignored him, not wanting their packs to suffer the same fate as Andy's pack. Andy kept seeing Des. They went for walks, watched the stars and had long talks about life. Andy felt more and more attached to her and often wished he could just leave his Garou nature behind and be human forever.

After a night of watching the stars, Andy walked Des home. They walked hand in hand, smiling at one another every so often. The moon was bright and Des leaned on Andy as they walked.

"I hope you had a good time." Andy said as they came to the warehouse.

"I did, Galahad." Des said with a smile. "It's not every day I get to meet a guy who loves the theater and star watching."

Des stretched up and gave Andy a soft peck on the cheek. Andy blushed and smiled at Des.

"Want to go for breakfast tomorrow?" Des asked as Andy put a hand on the steel ladder going up to the roof of the warehouse.

"Sure. What time should I meet you?"

"Nine o'clock all right?"

"Sounds fine."

Des smiled and walked up the block. Andy climbed the ladder to the roof, smiling to himself. For once in his life, Andy felt things were going his way and life couldn't get much better than this.

"Better get some shut eye if I want to meet Des tomorrow." Andy thought as he straightened his blankets.

As Andy pulled the blanket up to his neck, a distant scream caught his ear. Andy threw the blanket off and raced to the rusty ladder. He slid down the ladder and hit the street running. Before he cleared the alley, Andy concentrated hard. He shifted to Lupus form and raced up the street on all fours, his nose sniffing the air. His acute hearing picked the source of the scream and he made his way to a small back alley. Andy crept in and found the source of the scream.

Two large punks were standing over Des. She was slumped up against a wall, her eyes half shut. A punk with long purple hair stood over her with a knife.

"Come on!" laughed the punk, as he toed Des with his foot. "We just want to have fun."

Andy let out a low guttural growl.

The punks whirled around and saw Andy creeping toward them. The purple haired punk held his knife ready and the other punk with red hair grabbed Des.

"Look at the size of that fuckin' dog, Joey!" the purple haired punk said.

"Get rid of it, Polk!" Joey shouted as he used Des as a human shield.

Andy glanced at Des and it looked as though she was unconscious. Polk waved his knife threateningly at Andy. The young Garou circled Polk and snapped at him with his powerful jaws.

"Scram before I skin you!" Polk shouted as Andy crept towards him.

Andy let the Rage flow through his body and started to shift forms. He leapt at Polk. Andy shifted into Crinos in midair. He landed on Polk hard and snatched the knife away from him. Polk turned white with fear as Andy tossed the knife away and looked down at him, his toothy maw snapping at him.

"Holy shit monkeys!" Joey cried and he let go of Des.

Andy got off of Polk and shifted back to Lupus. He watched Polk scramble to his feet and run out of the alley, his red hair friend close behind him.

Andy calmed himself down and let the Rage flow out of him. He shifted back into his human form and walked over to Des. He knelt down and looked her over. He shirt was ripped at the neck and her jacket had a slash across the shoulder. Andy carefully checked Des out for any other wounds, but found none.

"Des?" Andy asked softly.

Des's eyes flickered open.

"I saw... I saw..." Des mumbled.

Andy picked Des up in his arms and held her close. He carried her out of the alley and towards Des' apartment. Andy found Des' keys and opened the front door. He carried Des up a flight of stairs and let himself into Des' apartment. Andy laid Des down on the couch gently. He made her comfortable and got her a glass of water from the kitchen. When Andy came back, Des was awake and Andy avoided looking at her eyes as he handed her the water. Des drank the water and put her hand on Andy's shoulder.

"What happened tonight?" Des asked in a quiet voice.

"What do you mean?" Andy asked. "You were attacked by a couple of punks. A dog came and saved you. I heard the barking and found you."

"No." Des said. "The dog it walked on two feet and then it changed into you."

"You must be in shock." Andy said.

"Galahad, what happened?"

Andy looked into Des's eyes.

"I can't tell you." Andy answered and he got up.

"What?" Des asked.

Andy slid his coat on, avoiding Des's eyes.

"Galahad?"

Andy put his hand on the doorknob.

"Galahad, please? Talk to me." Des said in a soft voice.

"Des, I know what happened, but I can't tell you." Andy said, not looking back.

"You can't tell me? What was all that crap about honesty and truth? What the hell have we been doing the last five weeks?" Des sobbed. "Well, fuck you! I was probably just another toy for you. Was that it? You can go to hell! Get the fuck out of my apartment, you lying bastard."

Des buried her face in her hands and began to cry. Andy felt his hand tense on the doorknob. He tried to turn it, but something inside of him wouldn't let him. That something inside was hurting and Andy slowly turned around.

"Des?" Andy called softly.

Des sat on the couch, her arms wrapped around her legs and her face buried in her knees.

"I do care." Andy said.

"Go to hell, you liar!" Des sobbed in her knees.

"Des!"

Des didn't answer.

Andy felt his insides twisting. He knew what he wanted to say but the words seem stuck on his tongue. He fought the fear welling up inside of him and began to shake slightly. Andy took a deep breath and got the words out.

"I love you." Andy said with a quivering voice.

Des looked up, tears streaming down her cheeks. Andy raced over to the couch. He wrapped his arms around Des, hugging her tightly. Des held Andy tightly as he kissed her tear streamed cheeks. Andy held her close, finding comfort in the warmth of her body.

"I do, Des." Andy whispered, head buried in her shoulder. "I do love you, no matter what you think."

"Then tell me what happened! My mind isn't making sense." Des sobbed.

"Okay." Andy said. "I will explain, but you'll be put into terrible danger. Do you still want to hear?"

"Please, tell me." Des said.

Andy sat back and looked at Des. He brushed her hair out of her eyes and spoke.

"I'm Garou." Andy said softly.

"Garou?" Des asked.

"A werewolf." Andy said.

"You're telling me you can change into a wolf?" Des asked, voice full of doubt.

Andy nodded.

"I think you've lost it." Des said.

Andy stood up and stood in the middle of the room. He shut his eyes and concentrated hard, using all his willpower to shift smoothly. With a grunt, Andy shifted into his Lupus form. Des gave a little screech and went a little pale. Andy trotted over to the couch and sat down beside it. He cocked his head at Des.

"Galahad?" Des whispered, eyes full of fright.

Andy barked and shifted back into human form.

"There." Andy said quietly.

They sat in silence for a long time, neither looking at the other. Andy reached to touch Des, but she shied away from him. His heart began to ache and Andy fought tears back.

"I'll leave you now." Andy said. "You don't have to worry about seeing me again. I'll disappear."

"I thought you said you loved me?" Des asked, tears filling her eyes.

"I do." Andy said as quietly. "I love you more than life itself. I love you so much I'd rather hide from you than to let you be afraid of me. No one loves a Garou."

Des grabbed Andy and held him tight.

"Don't leave. I'm not afraid of you." Des said. "I want you to stay and I don't care what you are!"

Andy kissed Des softly on the lips and her lips parted. Andy let his emotions flow and gave Des a deep, passionate kiss. Des closed her eyes and returned the kiss. She slid her hands under his shirt and pressed them against his back. He lifted her off the couch and carried her into the bedroom. Des looked at Andy and kissed him deeply, his lips parting to let her tongue explore. Andy gently laid Des on the bed and took his jacket off. He laid down beside her and softly stroked her hair. She smiled at him and gently rubbed his neck.

"Des?" Andy said.

Des nodded.

"I haven't been with a girl before." Andy stammered. "I'm not sure what to do."

"You mean you're a virgin?" Des asked, a small smile creeping across her lips.

"Yeah." Andy said sheepishly.

"Well," Des said quietly, "so am I. I guess we'll just have to figure it out for ourselves."


	5. Chapter 5

After that night, Andy stayed at Des's apartment for a few days. He heard from Sam that a moot of all the tribes was being held tonight. He decided to go and plead for help in his search for Calvin Locke.

"So, you're going to meet with the other Garou?" Des asked as Andy pulled his sneakers on.

"Yeah. Hopefully, I can get them to help me find Calvin Locke." Andy replied.

"What if they don't?"

"Then," Andy said as he stood up, "I'll be no worse off then I am now. You better have this."

Andy took off his bottlecap fetish and handed it to Des.

"Why?" Des asked as she looked at the bottlecap.

"It's a charm. It will grow warm in the presence of danger." Andy said. "Wear close to your skin. I'll be back late."

Andy gave Des a quick kiss and left the apartment. He headed for the outside of town. After he had cleared the city limits, Andy shifted to Lupus form and ran on all fours. It took him nearly half and hour of running through the woods and hills to finally reach the lake. He stopped and peered into the lake, thinking hard. In a flash, he was in the Umbra, the spirit world. Andy looked around and saw many bonfires burning. Garou from all the tribes were celebrating and howling at many of the fires. Andy walked towards the center of the moot and two guards in Crinos form approached him.

"What are you doing here, Bone Gnawer?" barked one of the guards.

"I have come to plead my case." Andy said calmly.

"Leave! Your kind does not belong here."

"I am the last of my pack. It was wiped out by agents of the Wyrm."

A few Garou close by perked their ears up at mention of the Wyrm and suddenly, Andy felt very uncomfortable. He backed away slowly, wondering if coming to the moot had been a bad idea.

"Halt, Bone Gnawer. What is your name?" ordered a commanding voice.

"Black Sheep." Andy replied.

The owner of the voice came into view. She was a large, silver furred Garou in Crinos form. She had many intricate patterns covering her and wore some strange jewelry. Andy recognized her as a Theurge, a prophet and truth sayer of the Garou.

"I am Knows-No-Lies. I see the truth in your claim. Come. Tell the council what has happened." Knows-No-Lies said and she waved Andy through the guards.

Andy walked passed the guards and followed Knows-No-Lies. As he passed the bonfires, some Garou regarded Andy coldly. He could hear their low grumbles.

"A Bone Gnawer here?!"

"What rabble..."

"Should have been sent back…"

Andy felt shame creeping into his heart and he hung his head. Knows-No-Lies led him to a large circle of Garou that were arguing and feasting. Knows-No-Lies stepped into the middle and called for attention.

"Leaders! A Garou has traveled from the city with terrible news. His pack has been wiped out by agents of the Wyrm." Knows-No-Lies said.

The circle broke out into howling and roaring. Knows-No-Lies held up her hands and the circle quieted.

"Let him tell you in his own words." Knows-No-Lies and she waved Andy in.

Andy trotted into the circle and shifted to Crinos form. The circle began to whisper.

"Bone Gnawer filth..."

"Lies..."

"Banish him..."

"My name is Black Sheep." Andy began, ignoring the whispers. "My pack was wiped out by agents of the Wyrm. A man named Calvin Locke organized the attack. I was the only one to survive."

"You mean the only one to run away fast enough!" barked a Shadow Lord and the odd chuckle broke out around the circle.

"Respect those under your station, Hunts-At-Night." ordered Knows-No-Lies. "As is written in the Litany, our great law."

"All I ask is aid to find the location of Calvin Locke." Andy explained. "I have tried to hunt him, but I have failed."

"Black Sheep is your name? Should be Whines-Like-Pup!" laughed Hunts-At-Night and the circle roared with laughter.

Shamed, Andy walked out of the circle, head hung low. He cursed himself for thinking of coming here and headed to the lake. He shifted to Lupus form and began to trot.

"Black Sheep! Wait!"

Andy stopped and saw Knows-No-Lies coming after him. She shifted to Lupus form and sat down beside him.

"I made sure Hunts-At-Night was reprimanded. He should follow the law better." Knows-Know-Lies said. "I will offer you what help I can."

"Why? Aren't you afraid to be seen with a Bone Gnawer?"

"No one makes judgments for me." Knows-No-Lies said. "Walk with me."

Andy followed Knows-No-Lies on top of the large hill, away from the moot. She shifted to human form and Andy recognized her tribe from the ornate jewelry. She was a Silver Fang, the royalty of the tribes.

"Forgive me." Andy said, crouching low. "I did not recognize your status."

"Please." Knows-no-Lies said. "It is I who should crouch to you for the way the circle acted."

"So how can you help?" Andy said and he shifted to human form.

"I have a few friends in the city that will help you." Knows-No-Lies said.

"That is all I ask." Andy said and he rubbed his brow. "I will leave the moot and not return. I get the feeling Bone Gnawers are not welcomed here."

"You look like Bone Gnawer, but speak like a Silver Fang." Knows-No-Lies chuckled. "Black Sheep, you are the last of your pack. I knew Grandmother Junkyard and I know she would not want any of her pack to be excluded from a moot."

"I must return anyways." Andy said. "Someone is waiting for me."

"Someone?"

"A lady."

"Then go." Knows-No-Lies said with a smile. "Keeping a lady waiting is not wise."

Andy nodded and smiled. He shifted to Lupus form and headed to the lake. One hour later, he was home and resting in bed beside Des.


	6. Chapter 6

Andy woke the next morning and got word from Sam that he had a meeting with Calvin Locke at eight o'clock tonight. He was to meet Calvin for a late drink at the Blue Spaniel, a local night club.

As eight o'clock rolled around, Andy and Des walked into the Blue Spaniel. Loud techno music boomed from hidden speakers and the dance floor was covered with people. Andy tugged at the collar of the black silk shirt he wore. He really uncomfortable in the clothes Des had made him wear, but she suggested he look like a party animal to blend in with the night club crowd. Des was wearing a blood red miniskirt with a white blouse. Her hair was done up nicely and she wore three inch heels.

"Stop pulling at your collar. You'll tear the shirt." Des whispered. "How come you're regular clothes didn't rip when you changed for me?"

"They're charmed to me. They change forms with me." Andy whispered. "Now, let's see what Mr. Locke is up to."

They asked for Calvin's table and the bouncer led them to an upper platform. There, sitting with two lovely ladies was a tall, broad shouldered man. He had long, sandy brown hair that fell to his shoulders. His green eyes were lively and he was dressed in a rich black Hugo Boss suit. He smiled at Des and Andy.

"You must be Galahad, right? Who's your friend?" Calvin said as he greeted them.

"Des." Des replied.

"Charmed beyond belief." Calvin said as he scooped up Des's hand and kissed it. "What can I do for you?"

"We've had a few problems with pests. Large ones." Andy said as he and Des sat down. "A friend told us you may be able to help."

"I might." Calvin said and he smiled at Des. "I could only hope that this pest is you and this lovely lady wants to hire me."

Des laughed and Calvin saluted here with his glass. Andy gritted his teeth, but did not respond. Des took the initiative and launched into some small talk with Calvin. Andy tuned him out and tried to thinks of what his next plan of attack would be. When Calvin finished, he smiled at Des.

"Could I trouble you for a dance?" Calvin asked.

"I'd like that." Des said and she left Andy to sit with the two girls. "You going to be all right, Galahad?"

Andy nodded slowly, deep in thought. As Calvin walked by, Andy sniffed the air and stiffened. Calvin's scent was very unusual and Andy started to recall tales of the scent. He could remember Grandmother Junkyard spinning tales by the fire about the scent that repulsed even the toughest Garou and he remembered how she had described it.

The scent of rot and Wyrm.

The scent of a vampire.

Andy looked over the edge and watch Calvin carefully. He sniffed the air and caught the scent of other vampires in the room. His eyes danced over the people in the club and he thought he could pick out who the vampires were, but it was hard because it seemed as if nearly everyone had pale skin and Gothic clothes.

"Gaia!" Andy thought. "We're in a proverbial lion's den!"

Calvin and Des came back from their dance. Andy smiled politely as he thought about his options. There was no love lost between the Garou and the vampires. As much as his instincts were screaming at him to get out of the club, Andy was not about to pass up this chance to get a rise out of Calvin. It was time to let his Ragabash nature shine through and jerk Calvin's chain a bit.

"Say Calvin?" Andy asked. "I was curious if you were interested in real estate."

"Always. It is the best investment money can buy."

"I heard the old junkyard outside the city is up for sale." Andy said. "Some say 'its to die for'."

"Really?"

"You'd make a killing there, but you all ready know that."

Calvin's eyes regarded him coldly for a second and Andy decided to give Calvin's chain one more jerk.

"I don't know what you are talking about." Calvin said in a cold, low voice

"I'm think you do." Andy said as he rose from his seat. "I'd love to discuss it with you sometime. Preferably during the day… a sunny one."

Calvin's upper lip twitched and Andy merely smiled.

"I think you had better leave." Calvin hissed.

"I will, but you'll be hearing from me." Andy said as he motioned for Des to rise.

"Is that a threat?"

"It's a promise."

The look Calvin gave Andy sent a shiver down his spine. Andy took Des's hand and they left the club. Andy practically dragged Des down the street, trying to put as much distance as he could between him and the club.

"Galahad! What's wrong?" Des asked.

"He was a leech and I think I pissed him off too much." Andy explained.

"I didn't think we were dancing that close."

Andy stopped. "Not that kind of a leech. A vampire."

"You are serious, aren't you?" Des asked as she tried to catch her breath.

"See the way he reacted when I said the line about the junkyard? He ordered the attack on my pack all right! I'm going back later to wait for him."

"Are you sure that's… Ouch! This bottle cap is getting warm."

Andy stopped talking and leaned close to Des.

"There's trouble near by. You be ready to run." Andy whispered.

Des stiffened a bit. The couple started walking again, alert for any signs of danger. Andy tensed, every muscle in his body ready to spring into action. He made sure Des had a clear path to run and he glanced back. Andy's sharp eyes spotted a white van following the duo slowly. Andy turned Des into an alley and they began to run. They came to a dead end and Andy boosted Des up to a fire escape.

"Climb!" Andy shouted. "Get out of here!"

"I'm not going to leave you to fight alone!" Des said.

The white van screeched down the alley and came to a halt. The side doors opened and Andy whirled to meet his attackers. Three men piled out and cocked their automatic rifles. Andy forced himself to change slightly to Glabro, a bulky, furry ape-man form.

"Des, leave before it's too late." Andy growled as the men took aim.

"Galahad! Run!" Des shouted.

The men opened fire and Andy dived for cover. Bullets deflected off the alley walls and Des threw herself flat against the fire escape grate. Andy crawled quickly behind some garbage cans.

"Kill the girl and then do the werewolf." ordered one of the men.

"I'm sorry Des but there's only one way to save us." Andy thought. "Forgive me."

Andy began to change to Crinos form. His body mass doubled as thick fur grew all over his body. Any mortal who viewed him in this form would be struck by unimaginable terror, Des included. As the men paused to reload, Andy acted. Andy exploded from behind the garbage cans, his huge hairy form a blur in the night. The men's face filled with horror as Andy descended on them. Andy cut into the men, his great claws slashing their necks. He crushed the last man's hand and ended his life with a quick slash. The van began to back up but Andy leapt unto the roof. He smashed through the windshield and grabbed the man by the collar. The man's eyes widened in fear as Andy growled.

"Who... sent... .you?" Andy growled, his teeth shone in the moonlight.

The man just babbled incoherently.

Andy sniffed the man and smelt a faint tinge of rot and Wyrm on him. This man was a ghoul, a servant of a vampire. Obviously, Calvin sent him.

"So... Calvin... sent... you!" Andy growled.

"How did you know?" the man stammered.

Andy snapped the man's neck and growled. He looked around the alley, his Rage driving him into a bloodlust. He threw back his head and howled. His blood burned in his veins and the urge to destroy stabbed at his brain. As he reveled in his power, Andy heard someone on the fire escape and then realized something.

Des was still here.

The thought of Des seeing him in his Crinos form shocked Andy out of his bloodlust. Quickly, Andy shifted back to human form. He looked for Des and found her, cowering on the fire escape. Andy tried to climb up to her but she scrambled away as he attempt to approach.

"Des?" Andy called. "It's me, Galahad."

Des just gave Andy a wide-eyed stare.

Andy looked down at himself and saw his hands covered in blood. His clothes were blood stained and ripped to shreds. Andy swallowed and looked at Des.

"Des, please." Andy called softly.

Des didn't answer.

Andy felt the anger building inside of him. The sense of loss he felt ate at his soul. He was angry at so many things. He was angry at having to show Des the savage nature of the Garou. He was angry at the men for forcing it out.

He was angry that he was cursed to be a Garou.

The young Garou turned and ran out of the alley. He ran and ran, never looking back. He reached the warehouse and climbed to the roof. He ditched his bloody rags and shrugged on a fresh set of clothes he had stored in the shed. In a frenzy, he began to pack everything he could carry.

"What the hell am I doing here?" Andy thought as he slid books into a knapsack. "After that little stunt, I don't belong here."

_"But you do... Black Sheep."_

Andy heard a voice and looked around, startled. He was alone in the night on the warehouse roof.

Something tugged hard at his ear.

"OW!" Andy said and gasped. "Grandmother?! But you're..."

Andy heard faint laughter in his head.

_"The body may die, but Gaia gave us all long spirits. I've been sent back to get you on the right track."_ Grandmother Junkyard's disembodied voice said.

"What do you mean right track? I'm moving on. I scared the shit out of Des tonight! I angered a vampire with my foolishness! Lily Street needs me no more-OW!"

Andy rubbed his ear again.

_"Wrong! Lily Street needs you more than ever... and you need to avenge your pack."_ Grandmother Junkyard said. _"You are Garou and must live with the consequences of your actions. Some good. Some bad. Avenge us, Black Sheep."_

Andy felt a final pull of his ear and then silence.

"Grandmother?" Andy softly called.

The sound of someone climbing the metal ladder broke the silence. Andy whirled and saw Des's head peek over the edge. Andy scooped up the backpack and began to run for the opposite edge, shifting to Glabro form.

"Galahad! Stop!" Des called.

With a final grunt, Andy leaped off the side of the warehouse. The night air rushed past him as he fell two stories towards the pavement below. He shifted fully to Crinos and landed with a thump. Quickly, Andy ducked into the shadows and stood very still.

"Galahad!" Des cried as she looked over the edge.

Andy didn't answer or move, his breathing slow and deep.

"Galahad! Come back!" Des shouted and she lowered her head. "Come back... I love you, you bastard."

Andy tensed and looked up at Des. In the moonlight, he could see tears pouring from her gentle eyes. He wanted so much to comfort her, but knew he could not. He was Garou and it was written that to live among the humans was to bring pain and suffering upon all those around him.

"Des... go." Andy growled.

"Galahad?" Des sniffed. "Are you down there?"

"Des... I... monster... you... go."

"I don't care! I told you that!"

"I... frighten... you." Andy growled and shifted to his human form.

"Galahad, please come out."

Andy stepped into the moon light, pack slung over his shoulder.

"Now you know why I live alone." Andy said. "It is the way of the Garou."

"Don't move!" Des said and she vanished from the edge of the warehouse.

Andy looked up the street and knew he could run. Des would never catch him and she would never know where he went, but in his heart Andy knew he couldn't. No matter how much he ran, Andy would never be free of the pain of losing Des. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm his heart and saw Des come tearing around the corner. She ran up to him and hugged him hard. Andy returned the hug and held her close.

"Let's go home." Des said.

"Des, you don't want a monster under your roof. You saw what I did tonight." Andy said.

"What I saw was something that saved my life. I can't remember what it was, but I know it was you."

"You saw me in my Crinos form or the wolfman form. Ordinary humans feel a fear when they see a Garou in Crinos called the Delirium. It makes them forget exactly what they saw and replaces it with a hazy memory."

"I don't care what I saw or felt. I just want you to stay."

Andy and Des walked back to the apartment. Once inside, Des made some tea while Andy washed up. He came back and sat in the living room. On a whim, he opened the window. A large brown rat scampered to the window and Andy looked slightly surprised. Then, he realized what the rat was. Des came back in and nearly dropped the tea at the sight of the rat.

"A rat!" Des screamed. "Kill it!"

"No!" Andy cried as the rat scurried up to him.

Des watched as Andy stroked the rat and looked at it. After a few minutes, the rat scampered off of Andy and out the window.

"What was that all about?" Des asked.

"The rat is the totem or guardian of the Bone Gnawers. She speaks to us through her children. Rat has told me Calvin is having a secret meeting tonight." Andy said in a quiet voice.

Andy leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes. Des sat down beside him and put her hand on his arm.

"You all right?" Des asked.

"Just the memory of the night my pack got killed running through my mind."

"Want to talk it? It'll make you feel better to get it out instead of keeping it all inside."

"We had a meeting in the old junkyard on the edge of town. Our pack leader wanted to see me. She gave me some advice and then we got ambushed. She was killed and I ran back to warn the pack but to was too late." Andy said quietly. "My whole pack was wiped out. I am the only one to survive."

"Do you have anything to remember them by?" Des asked.

"Well, Grandmother Junkyard gave me the bottle cap and some words to live by. I will also always have the nightmares of that night my pack was slaughtered in the junkyard."

"I'll keep them away. You can't be strong if you run from your fears."

Andy nodded and reached under the couch. He pulled out the klaive that Grandmother Junkyard had entrusted to him. Des watched him as Andy stared at the foot long silver knife, its edge shining in the light. Andy carefully studied it. Intricate runes and pictures covered the blade and the handle. The light seem to give the klaive a life of it's own and Andy marveled at its beauty.

"It's beautiful." Des whispered. "I take it is very precious?"

"Very." Andy said as he sat, staring at the klaive. "These were made a very long time ago. Powerful Garou forged them and put spirits in them to give the klaive great power. See these markings? They tell the tale of the First Bone Gnawer and the runes on the handle tell the bearer to wield this klaive with pride. These other markings tell of an ancient hero, but I can't read what the rest of them say."

"Galahad..."

"Andy. My real name is Andy."

"Andy... You're not going to that meeting are you?"

Andy nodded slowly.

"I have to." Andy said.

Andy stood and slid the klaive inside his coat. Des stood and looked into his eyes, trembling. Andy fought back the tears and wrapped his arms around Des. Des returned the embrace and Andy wished he could freeze this moment in time forever. The scent of Des' hair. The warmth of her body. The softness of her skin. Nothing else mattered at this moment.

"Come home safe, Andy." Des whispered. "Please, just come home."

"May Gaia protect me." Andy whispered and kissed Des. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Andy opened the door and left. He jogged into the night and to the location Rat had revealed to him. It was a dark, abandoned warehouse on the west side of town. Andy scouted for a way in and found a side window. He slipped inside and climbed to the top of some crates and peered over the side. On the warehouse floor were several people. One of them was Calvin Locke, smoking a cigarette. Beside him stood a young teenage girl with long blond hair. She was dressed in blue leather and snapped her gum. Five other men were seated around on crates, each of them dressed in a fine Italian suit.

"Keep smoking, Calvin." Andy growled under his breath. "It'll be your last before the night is over."

A door opened and Andy heard heavy footsteps on the warehouse floor. Two men walked in. One was a tall man dressed in a large silver trench coat. His black walking stick tapped the floor as he walked towards Calvin and the girl. The other was a short, stalky man with a head full of messy hair. He was dressed in a very dirty pair of blue overalls and walked with a limp. Andy nearly lost it when he saw the eight ball hanging from the scruffy man's neck.

It was Smoky, the black balled Garou from his pack.

"Where's the money, Greg?" Calvin asked as he dropped his cigarette to the ground and snubbed it out.

"You didn't finish the job." the man with the walking stick said. "Smoky here says a Garou from the junkyard is still alive."

"Youse guys said if I told ya where to find them, you'd clean 'em out." Smoky said. "Ya kind of fucked up."

Anger over took Andy when he heard Smokey's words. He slowly shifted to Glabro form and watched the scene below him. He swore silently to himself to have Smokey's head before the night was over.

"We got the last one tonight. The stupid Garou actually showed up at my club and insulted me. I sent some men to kill him and his girl." Calvin snorted. "What was his name again?"

Andy couldn't take it any more and leapt from his hiding spot. The Rage had taken over and it was time to take revenge for his pack, no matter what the cost.

"The name is Black Sheep!" Andy growled as he landed.

The five men in the Italian suits fled from the warehouse, the Delirium scaring them senseless. Andy cursed his anger for letting him make such a terrible mistake. He was badly outnumbered four to one. Two Garou, a vampire and a mortal were more than a match for him. Andy made a silent prayer to Gaia. He growled once and prepared for battle.

"Give up." Calvin said. "You're a dead wolf either way. You're outnumbered four to one."

"Never give up… to a leech." Andy hissed.

"Prepare to die then!" Greg growled.

Andy watched as Greg shifted to Crinos form. The young Garou took one look at the midnight black fur knew Greg was a Shadow Lord. Tall and muscular, Greg cracked his knuckles and Andy suddenly recognized him from the moot.

It was Hunts-At-Night, the one who had taunted him.

"Time to join your pack, pup!" Hunts-At-Night growled.

Smoky shifted to Crinos form and circled Andy. Andy tried to keep both Garou in sight, but they were too quick. Hunts-At-Night had probably seen more battles in a week than Andy had seen in a lifetime. Letting out a long howl, Andy gripped the klaive a little tighter and prepared for battle.

"Any last words?" Hunts-At-Night asked.

"How about 'Long live the Junkyard Dogs'?" shouted a voice from the shadows.

A tapping sound could be heard and Gramps came into view. He dropped his cane and much to Andy's shock, shifted to Crinos form. His massive form was covered with brown fur that was full of spots of white. His muzzle had a fine white beard under the chin and his eyes were a cloudy white.

"I never liked uneven odds." Gramps growled and he stood beside Andy.

Smoky backed up and then turn to run.

"Revenge... will... be... mine." Andy growled at Smoky.

"No, Galahad." growled Gramps. "It is mine!"

Gramps took the klaive out of Andy's hand and threw it at Smoky. The blade whistled as it cut through the air. Smoky screamed as the klaive caught him in the back and he slumped to the floor, dead. Andy blinked at Gramps and the old Garou blinked his milky pupils, locking his gaze on Hunts-At- Night.

"A not-so-blind Garou and a pup?" Hunts-At-Night chuckled. "This should be easy. Prepare to die, blind one."

"Gaia will guide me, traitor." Gramps said.

Hunts-At-Night howled and lunged at Gramps. Andy charged at Calvin, howling a battle cry. The vampire hissed and jumped back. Andy raised his claws and prepared to strike, but Calvin jerked the girl in front of him as a shield.

"Get him!" Calvin ordered to the girl.

"Andy?" the girl asked, peering at the young Garou.

"What?" Andy asked, startled.

Andy paused and looked the girl over carefully. Her long blond hair was pulled back in a simple pony. She wore a thin gold bracelet around her left wrist and a blue leather jacket hung off her skinny frame. Andy wondered why she wasn't affected by the Delirium. She wasn't a vampire and she had a mortal scent. That meant she was Kinfolk, a human with a dormant Garou gene.

Something hard and sharp cut into Andy's back and he cursed himself for letting his guard down. He fell to the floor, grunting. Andy looked up and saw Hunts-At- Night standing over him, a bloody klaive in his hand. The Shadow Lords red eyes narrowed and he hefted the klaive in his hand.

"You're just a pitiful pup!" growled Hunts-At-Night as he leered at Andy. "Feel the power of a Shadow Lord! The Bone Gnawers are a pitiful excuse for our kind and I will make sure they will all be removed, just like your pitiful pack! I killed the old blind Garou and now it is your turn."

Andy glanced over and saw Gramps crumpled on the floor, laying in a pool of blood.

"Keep him busy!" Calvin shouted as he grabbed the girl by the neck and dragged her out of the warehouse.

Hunts-At-Night chuckled as he reached down to slash Andy's neck.

"Good night, pup." Huts-At-Night said.

Andy brought his knee up and buried it in Hunts-At-Night's groin. The Shadow Lord howled in pain and dropped the klaive. Andy forced his body to act and scrambled for the klaive. His hand scooped up the blade and he staggered to his feet.

"Forget you're fighting a Ragabash?" Andy asked. "We're a wee bit tricky."

Before Hunts-At-Night could reply, a blood paw gently closed over Andy's wrist. Andy looked over and saw Gramps standing beside him.

"I owe him, pup." Gramps said. "I owe him for many things."

Gramps looked in very bad shape. His face was a mess of slashes and a deep wound in his side looked bad, like it would have killed a normal Garou. Then again, Gramps seemed not like any normal Garou Andy knew.

Hunts-At-Night howled and lunged. Gramps snatched the klaive out of Andy's hand and shoved him aside. Hunts-At-Night slashed at Gramps' neck, but the old Garou ducked under the blow and slash upwards. The klaive cut Hunts-At-Night from crouch to neck and his guts spilled out onto the floor. Hunts-At-Night fell and shifted back to human form, dead before he hit the floor.

"For the fallen. For the murdered." Gramps said. "For Grandmother Junkyard."

Gramps offered a bloody paw to Andy and helped him to his feet.

"You'll be all right. Hunts-At-Night couldn't summon the war spirits in the klaive to do any serious damage." Gramps explained.

"That girl... she knew... my name." Andy said as he slowly got up.

"You know her?" Gramps asked.

Andy thought about the girl and tried to recall her scent. Then, it stuck him light a thunderbolt.

"I got… to go!" Andy said.

"May Gaia guide you pup!" Gramps shouted as Andy ran out of the warehouse.

Andy could smell the girl's scent. He knew that scent all too well. He stopped outside the warehouse and sniffed the ground. Calvin and the girl were on foot and Andy took off. Ten blocks later, he saw them struggling. Andy threw back his head and let out a long howl. Calvin dropped the girl and took off in a dead run. Andy ran up to the girl and shifted to human form. She lay crumpled in a ball, a large knife sticking out of her side. Her blood was quickly forming a large pool under her body.

"No! Oh Gaia! Please!" cried Andy as he dropped to his knees and cradled the girl.

The girl's eyes fluttered open and she saw Andy holding her. She tried to smile, but winced in pain.

"Andy! I knew it was you." the girl said weakly.

"Julie? Is it you?" Andy asked.

"I missed you big brother." Julie said weakly. "Sorry I wound up on the wrong side."

"I'm here! I don't care!" Andy cried. "I'll get you to a hospital!"

"It's too late, Andy." Julie said as she winced. "I'm just glad I found you after all this time. Take this and never forget me… I have never forgot you."

Julie pressed something small and metallic into Andy's hand and she stiffened.

"Julie?" Andy called.

Julie lay in Andy's arms, growing cold.

"Julie!" Andy shouted.

Andy threw his head back and let out a long, mournful wail.

"I'll never leave you again." Andy sobbed as he buried his face in Julie's hair. "Never again."

Andy felt the heat coarse through his veins. He growled as he thought of what he wanted to do to the leech that had killed his sister. The Rage was taking control and Andy's vision began to go red. He could smell the leech's rotten scent and Andy took off like a bat out of hell. He shifted to Lupus form and ran hard. All he could think of as the image of the leech killing his sister. Andy ran and ran, closing in on the leech's trail. The Rage made him almost crazy as he ran through the night.

Andy stopped in front of a large apartment building. The leech's scent was strong, but Andy couldn't see him. Andy trotted up to the doors and looked in. Calvin was standing in the lobby, smoking a cigarette nervously. Andy growled and smashed through the glass doors! The doorman looked up from his post and saw Andy charge in, his large dog form like a black blur.

"Shit." Calvin cursed as he saw Andy loping towards him.

A gunshot rang out and Andy felt something hot bite into his side and he went sprawling. The doorman had drawn his revolver and shot Andy in the side.

"I'll call Animal Control." Calvin said as he ran out of the building.

"I'll finish it off." the doorman said.

Andy crawled behind a chair, trying to let his system heal the gunshot wound. Andy knew he needed a few more minutes to let his regenerative power heal the wound completely, but he knew he didn't have it.

"Gaia, give me strength." Andy prayed as he tried to change forms.

"Where are you, you stupid dog?" grumbled the doorman as he made his way over to the chairs.

Andy stood up slowly, growling from deep in his throat. His large, powerful Crinos form loomed over the doorman, blood trickling from a wound in his side. The doorman backed away in fear when he saw Andy.

"Fear... me!" Andy growled.

The doorman ran screaming from the lobby. Andy thanked Gaia for allowing him to change so easily and that the bullet wasn't silver. Andy felt the wound in his side heal over and he shifted back to Lupus form. Andy charged back out and onto the street. He caught the vampire's scent once more and ran down a dead end alley. He saw Calvin and five other tough looking men. Andy caught their scent and crept back a step.

The other five were all vampires.

"I'll cut my losses and leave now. I'll finish you another day like I finished off your pack." Calvin said and he nodded to Andy. "I think we'll call this one a draw. A shame you cannot stop me."

Andy lifted his head and barked a few times. Then, he shifted to Crinos.

"Don't... have... to." Andy growled. "They... will."

Soon, several dogs came running into the alley. On the rooftops appeared a few more. Eventually, there were fourteen or fifteen mangy dogs in the alley, all growling at the vampires. One of the dogs ran up to Andy and shifted to Crinos form. He had white fur with large black spots all over him. He nodded to Andy.

"Heard you call. Leeches, eh?" Sam growled and he waved the pack closer. "Hope you don't mind this is all I could muster?"

"I'll take it considering the circumstances." Andy said as he shifted to human form.

"So, you need help to kill little old me?" Calvin asked. "Or maybe you want to let me go?"

Calvin looked into Andy's eyes and Andy nearly felt compelled to do what Calvin ordered. It was as if Calvin's words digging into his brain. For a moment, Andy was ready to let Calvin go, the young Garou gritted his teeth and shook off the feeling.

"I said let me go!" Calvin hissed.

Again, Andy felt compelled to obey, but he ignored the command just as easily as he did the first time.

"All right." Andy said, eyes full of fire. "If you insist!"

Andy motioned to the other Bone Gnawers. Calvin shouted as the shifters leapt into action and Andy joined in, shifting back to Crinos. When it was done, all the vampires, but Calvin lay torn to pieces and four Bone Gnawers had died in the battle. Andy stood panting in human form, watching Sam hold down Calvin.

"Bag that leech up." Andy said. "We're taking him to the river. Thanks Sam."

"No problem." Sam said as he helped the pack tie up Calvin.

A half hour later, Andy was down by the river. Calvin was tired spread eagle to one of the bridge's large support columns with steel cable, his head covered with a bag. Andy whipped the bag off of Calvin's head. Calvin saw Andy standing beside him, casually twisting a gold bracelet in his hand. Calvin sneered at Andy and laughed.

"So the little Garou couldn't kill me!" Calvin jeered. "What's the matter? No guts, Garou?"

Andy fiddled with the bracelet, ignoring Calvin and looking at the Bone Gnawers waiting for him on the shore.

"You and your pitiful kind!" Calvin laughed. "I killed your pack and all you do is just stand there."

Andy remained silent.

"What's the matter Garou, no style?"

Andy finally looked at Calvin.

"I suppose you want me to bite your throat out?" Andy asked.

"Go ahead." Calvin chuckled. "There is no way I am going to beg a lowly Garou for my life."

Andy opened his knapsack and pulled out a black tarp.

"What's that for?" Calvin asked.

"I may not have style," Andy said as he walked over to Calvin, "but I got creativity. By the way, what time is it?"

Calvin looked puzzled.

"Hmmm." Andy said as he looked at his watch. "Wow! Five minutes until sunrise."

Calvin swallowed uncomfortably.

"Come on, Garou. Kill me and get it over with." Calvin said.

"Calvin, you sound a little worried." Andy teased.

"Kill me, now!"

Andy shook his head.

"That wouldn't have any style to it! See this tarp? I'm going to cover you except for your feet and then, I'm going to raise it slowly as the sun rises." Andy growled. "How's that for style, leech?"

"Garou, come on! Show me some mercy!" Calvin begged.

"Like you showed my sister and pack?" Andy hissed and he threw the tarp over Calvin.

Calvin began to struggle and shout, but the tarp muffled his cries. Andy saw the first rays of the sun breaking over the horizon. He bent down and removed Calvin's shoes.

"This is for Julie, bastard!" Andy growled.

The first rays of the sun hit Calvin's feet and they began to smoke. Calvin screamed and struggled as his feet began to burn. Andy slowly raised the tarp.

"Garou! Garou! Stop it!" Calvin howled.

Andy watched Calvin struggle against the steel cable and the vampire's screams became louder.

"Well, since you want to see the sun that badly..." Andy said.

Andy removed the tarp completely.

"NO!" Calvin shouted.

Calvin's form began to smoke. His finely styled hair burst into flame and the look in his eye was one of pure inhuman terror. He screamed and struggled as the sun rose. The dead flesh burned like a brush fire as Andy watched on. Soon, it was over. Calvin's body turned to ash and blew away into the wind. On the nearby shore, a pack of Bone Gnawers whooped and cheered before disappearing into the morning dawn.

Andy looked down at the small gold bracelet. He closed his hand around it and looked to the sky, a tear sliding down his cheek.

"I'll never leave you now, Julie. Not as long as I can remember you." Andy whispered to the rising sun.


	7. Chapter 7

Andy slipped into Des's apartment quietly. He removed his shoes and coat and slipped into the bedroom without making a sound. He saw Des, sitting in a rocking chair by the window. She didn't hear Andy come in and he crept over to her.

"Miss me?" Andy asked quietly.

Des whirled around and saw Andy. He smiled and Des grabbed him, holding him tight. Andy yelped in pain, but held Des close, kissing her neck and face.

"I thought I'd lost you." Des sobbed.

"Never." Andy whispered. "But... I lost my sister."

Des looked at Andy and Andy explained what happened that night. Des held Andy close for a long time and the young Garou cried. He let years of tears flow as Des held him, comforting him. All the pain inside flowed out as he shed tears for all that he had lost.

"It's over." Andy said as he wiped his eyes. "I can rest now."

"Good." Des replied.

As the morning sun grew brighter, Des tended to Andy's wounds. Once Andy had cleaned himself up, he climbed into bed and Des did the same. Andy gingerly rolled over and wrapped his arms around Des.

"Andy?" Des asked softly.

"Yeah?" Andy said in a tired voice.

"I have something to tell you."

"What?"

Des waited a second and brought Andy's hand to her belly. She stroked his hair and touched his lips with her fingers in the darkness.

"I'm pregnant."

END

Legal Notice: Werewolf the Apocalypse and all related Storyteller material are the property of White Wolf Studios. 


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